CHOOSE THE RIGHT: Activity Days – Learning and Living the Gospel – Goal 9, agency and good choices develop faith

Theme: I Will Make Good Choices
INVITATIONS 

Invite Activity Days youth to this activity using invitation.

Other Uses For This Same Invitation: Use to invite youth to a class about time control, being on time, setting goals and managing them in a timely way. Or a “Once Upon a Time” Activity where parents or grandparents share a highlight in their life.

FOR ACTIVITY:
• Print invitations, color, and give out a week ahead or have them ready to give to youth at a current activity, inviting them to the next.
• Have youth who are more active take the invitation to those less active.

ASSIGN TREATS:
• See matching THOUGHT TREATS below each activity.
• Have youth share their favorite recipes with you and you could make them during Activity Days or have them make them ahead to share.
• With the Activity Days budget have youth help you plan treats ahead for the next activity – hopefully treats that go along with the goal or lesson theme. 

. . . ACTIVITY DAYS PLANNER . . .

Learn & Living the Gospel Goal 9 (Part 1 of 2):
Learn to sing “Choose the Right” (Hymns, no. 239).
Song and Straight and Narrow Path Discussion

*DOWNLOAD the “Choose the Right” (Hymn 239) SONG VISUALS separately or purchase this activity (which includes the song) to teach youth the song.

• After singing “Choose the Right,” talk to the youth about how when we make the right choices the Holy Ghost guides and protects us. When we make the right choices we are not left alone when we need help the most; the Spirit is always there. By praying and choosing “right” over “wrong” we can easily follow the Spirit and stay on the straight and narrow path that leads back to heaven.
• Tell the story and show the video of Sharon G. Larson: Second Counselor, Young Women General Presidency, in General Conference (Ensign, Oct. 2013 “Your Light in the Wilderness”). She tells how as a young girl, her father taught her how to drive the tractor and plow a straight line in the fields before planting. If she did not, the weeds would grow where she went off the straight and narrow path. To plow straight she should keep her eye focused on the fence post across the field – letting that be her goal, she could plow a straight line. Her dad told her to pay attention always, comparing this to the temptations of the world that could throw us off course.
• Sister Larson says in her talk, “The Lord knows that you face challenges and temptations, and He provides the light that brightens your hearts, your minds, and your spirits. He has said that His word is truth and truth is light and light is the Spirit of Jesus Christ (see D&C 84:45).” 

Learn & Living the Gospel Goal 9 (Part 2 of 2):
Explain what agency is and what it means to be responsible for your choices. Discuss how making good choices has helped you develop greater faith.
Choosing a Consequence (Spin-the-Bottle) Game

To Make: (1) Print, color, and cut out the wordstrips and signs. (2) Fill the bottle with the “smile” and “frown” wordstrips. Close the lid. (3) See details below to set up and play the game using the “Immediate Consequence,” “Future Consequence,” and “Eternal Consequence.” signs.

To Set Up Game: Tape to the floor or table in the center of a circle the “Immediate Consequence,” “Future Consequence,” and “Eternal Consequence” signs.

To Play: Have players sit around in a circle. Teams take turns having a player spin the bottle in the center inside the signs. The bottle neck should point to one of the signs. If the neck is on the border of the signs, choose the sign to the right of the neck. The player pulls out a “smile” or “frown” word-strip and reads it aloud. Player names the consequence for that action that matches the type of consequence for where the bottle neck is pointing.

Example: the “Immediate Consequence” for “Stay up late” is you are tired the next day. Collect the smile word-strips, for once the bottle is empty, the team with the most “smiles” wins.

THOUGHT TREAT: (Thumbs-Up Thumbprint Cookies). Press your thumb into a ball of sugar-cookie dough and bake. Tell girls that thumbs-up means “good going.” Let’s try each day to make thumbs-up choices. 

More Activity Day Activities:

• NEXT activity: Learning and Living the Gospel – Goal 10

• PREVIOUS activity: Learning and Living the Gospel – Goal 8

• TABLE OF CONTENTS: LEARNING AND LIVING THE GOSPEL – Goals 1-10